Curschmann's spirals explained

Curschmann's spirals are a microscopic finding in the sputum of asthmatics. They are spiral-shaped mucus plugs from subepithelial mucous gland ducts of bronchi. They may occur in several different lung diseases[1] and may refer to parts of the desquamated epithelium seen in lavages from asthmatic patients.[2] These microscopic casts are named after German physician Heinrich Curschmann (1846-1910). They are often seen in association with creola bodies and Charcot-Leyden crystals. They are elongated microscopic mucous casts from small bronchi and are often found in sputum samples from patients with bronchial asthma. They can be stretched out to a length of around 2 cm and can sometimes be longer. They have a central core that may be ensheathed in cell debris and mucus.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Cenci M, Giovagnoli MR, Alderisio M, Vecchione A . Curschmann's spirals in sputum of subjects exposed daily to urban environmental pollution . Diagn. Cytopathol. . 19 . 5 . 349–51 . November 1998 . 9812228. 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0339(199811)19:5<349::AID-DC7>3.0.CO;2-7. 5638354 .
  2. Web site: Curschmann's spiral in sputum from asthma patient . 2008-11-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090429164750/http://www.som.tulane.edu/classware/pathology/medical_pathology/New_for_98/Lung_Review/Lung-29.html . 2009-04-29 . dead .
  3. Academic Dictionaries; Academic 2014